Pressure release for wringers



- Oct. 10, 1933.

C. B. WILLIAMS PRESSURE RELEASE FOR WRINGERS Filed Sept. 10; 1931' 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 0% Q @Z Mb? Oct. 10, 1933.

c. B. WILLIAMS 1,229,461

PRESSURE RELEASE FOR WRINGERS I Filed Sept; 10, 1931 .2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I JIy/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIJ w mazww Patented Oct. 10, 1933 PATENT OFFICE PRESSURE RELEASE FOR WRINGERS Charles B. Williams, Shaker Heights, Ohio, as-

signor to -Williams Industries, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application September 10, 1931 Serial No. 562,111

24 Claims.

This invention relates to a pressure release for a wringer, and especially to a pressure release arranged to be used in a wringer having a pair of pressure rolls and an auxiliary roll, resiliently retained in contact with one of the pressure rolls,

wherein the material is fed by the operator between the auxiliary roll and an associated pressure roll, and then passes between the two pressure rolls, which coact to squeeze the moisture from the material. a

The general object of this invention is to provide a release mechanism which will act to relieve the pressure between, and separate a pair of wringer rolls, which are normally resiliently retained in contact with each other.

A further object is to provide a manually operated release mechanism, which is especially arranged for use in connection with a wringer, having a pair of coacting pressure rolls, and an auxiliary roll normally arranged to be resiliently retained in contact with one of the pressure rolls, and which release mechanism will relieve the pressure between the auxiliary roll and its associated pressure roll and entirely separate such rolls.

Other objects of this invention will become more apparent from the following description,

referring to a preferred embodiment thereof, i1-- lustrated in the drawings. The essential and novels characteristics of the invention will be set forth in the claims.

Referring again to the drawings, wherein I illustrate a preferred form of my invention, Fig. 1 is a substantially centrally located vertical section, and is indicated by the lines 1--1 on Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is-a side elevation of a wringer, embodying my invention; Figs. 3 and 4 are vertical transverse sections, as indicated by the lines 3-3 on Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a section taken in substantially the same plane as Fig; 3, but illustrating some of the parts in a different position; Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a modified form of my invention, illustrated in connection with a wringer, having a slightly different construction than that shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive; Fig. 6 is' a vertical transverse section, as indicated by the lines 6-6 on Fig. 5; Figs. 7 and 8 are sections, taken in substantially the same plane as Fig. 6, but illustrating some of the parts in different positions; Fig. 9 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section, as indicated by the lines 9-9 on Fig. 5; Fig. 10 is a fragmentary vertical section, as indicated by the lines 1010 on Fig. 6, Figure 11 is a sectional detail of Figure 10.

' Referring again to the drawings, and especially to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, I illustrate one form of my invention in connection with a wringer, which is provided with a pair of auxiliary rolls arranged to coact with a pair of contacting pressure rolls respectively. The arrangement of my release @9 mechanism is such that it will operate to separate the auxiliary rolls from their respective pressure rolls.

The wringer, as shown in Fig. 1, comprises a pair of substantially vertically extending hollow side frame members 10 and 11, joined together by suitable cross frame members 12. Mounted in a substantially horizontal'plane between the frame members 11 and 12 are a pair of shafts 14-. and 15, on which are rigidly secured pressure rolls, 16 and 1'7, respectively. The shafts 14 and 15 are rotatably mounted in suitable bearing blocks 13-, carried by the frame members 11 and 12. One of the bearing blocks 18 in each frame member 11 or 12 abuts a stationary block or bar 19 of the frame member, the other bearing members 13 being spaced apart from framemembers 26, carried by respective end frames 11 and 12. Between the latter bearing members 18 and the frame members 20 are compression springs 21, arranged 83 to normally urge the roll 17 into contact with the roll 16. The pressure between the rolls 16 and 17 is adjusted .by suitable adjusting screws 22, mounted in athreaded engagement with respective frame members 20 and arranged to coact 353 with one end of respective compression springs 21. Immediately below the pressure rolls 16 and 17 are a pair of auxiliary rolls 30 and 31, which contact with each other and with the pressure rolls, respectively. The end portions of the shafts 96 32 and 33 which support the auxiliary rolls 30 and 31 are carried in a bearing block 34, which is slidably mounted in the frame members 10 and 11, there being one such bearing block 34 in each of the frame members 10 and 11.

The auxiliary rolls '30 and 31 are normally retained in contact with their respective pressure rolls by a spring 35, which operates to'resiliently maintain thecontact between each auxiliary roll 30 and 31, and their respective pressure rolls 16 and 1'1. One end of each spring 35 is secured, as at 36, to its respective bearing block 34, and the other ends are secured to one end of respective links- 38, each of which is pivoted as at 39, to rotatable disc 40 and 41, respectively. It will be noted that the pivot 39 is eccentri'cally located on the discs 40 and 41. Hence, therotation of the discs will lower the pivots 39, and cause the tension on thesprings 35 to be re- 110 leased and separate the auxiliary rolls and 31 from their respective pressure rolls 16 and 17.

To enable the operator to readily rotate the discs 40 and 41, each disc is provided with an operating handle 42. The construction is such that the rotation of either disc 40 or 41 will serve to rotate the other disc and therefore lower both bearing blocks 34 simultaneously. To this end the discs 40 and 41 are rigidly secured to a cross shaft 43, mounted in openings 44in plates 45, which are secured to the inner faces of the frame members 10 and 11. Hence, the operator may graspeither one of the handles 42 and conveniently separate the rolls, thereby preventing injury to the garment or to the fingers, which might be caught between an auxiliary roll and a pressure roll when material of abnormal thickness is passed therebetween.'

I prefer to arrange the construction so that the reaction of the springs is transmitted directly from the discs and 41 to the top of the frame members 10 and 11. To this end I mount a substantially flat bar 46 on the-top surface 47of each frame member 10 and 11, and so arrange the bars that the lowermost surfaces of its respective discs 40 or 41 will bear thereon.

I have shown the wringer as being operated by a suitable manually operated handle 48, but I contemplate that it may be operated by a suitable power device if desired. I prefer to drive one pressure roll by the operating means anddrive the other pressure roll frictionally from the first pressure roll. As shown in the drawings, I have mounted the handle 48 on the shaft 15, thereby positively driving the pressure roll 17. The pressure roll 18 is'frictionally driven by its contact with the pressure roll 16. The auxiliary rolls 30 and 31 are likewise normally driven, by reason of their contact with their respective pressure rolls driven therefrom, while the gears 49 will serve .to' positively drive the first-named auxiliary roll.

' In Figs. 5 to 10 inclusiveI show my release mounted on a modified form of wringer. In this instance, the pressure rolls 16 and 17 and the auxiliary rolls 30 and 31 are'mounted in a flanged drum 60. The flanges 61 of which are embraced by annular flanges 62of a second pair of drums 63. The drums .63 are spaced apart, and are rigidly secured to suitable cross frame members 64, which form a base for the wringer.

This construction is such that when the inner. drum is rotated relative to the outer drum 63,

the auxiliary roll 30 and its associated pressure roll 16 are tilted slightly clockwise from a vertical position, thereby positioning these rolls so that anoperator may conveniently feed the gar ments in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 6, and

enabling the operator to readily see the garments as they pass into the bite of the rolls 30 and 16. However, when garments are fed from the opposite side of the wringer, namely, from the right-hand side, referring to Figs. 6 to 8, in-

clusive, the auxiliary rolls and the inner drum 60 will be rotated in a counter-clockwise direction relative to the outer drum 63, thereby tilting the pressure roll 17 andauxiliary roll 31 to the position indicated in Fig. 8. In this position the pressure roll 17 and its associated auxiliary roll 31 have been tilted in a counter-clockwise direction, so that the garments may be fed from the right hand side of the wringer in the direction of the arrow, as indicated in Fig. 8.

To retain the rolls in either of the adjusted positions, shown in'Figs. 6 and 8, I prefer to provide a spring-pressed latch 70, which is preferably carried by one of the inner drums 60, and arranged to engage notches 71 in the corresponding outer drum 63. This latch comprises a lever 72, pivoted at 73 to the inner drum 60, and normally retained in engagement with one of the notches 71 by a suitable spring 74.

My modified form of release comprises a pair tension springs 35a, one end of each of which supports an auxiliary roll bearing 34, and the other end of each of which is secured to respective cables 75, rigidly secured to a drum-like extension 76, of a shaft '77, journalled in the inner drum members 60.

Rigidly secured to the shaft 77, adjacent the drum-like portions 76, are spur gears 79, which are arranged to mesh with suitable segmental racks respectively. The racks 80 are secured to the flange 62 of the outer or stationary drum 63. The arrangement is such that when the pressure rolls 16 and 17 are in a substantially horizontal position, as shown in Fig. 7, the cable 75 is extended its fullest amount. However, as the inner drum 60 is rotated to one side or the other, to the position shown in Figs. 6 or 8, the gears 79 will be rotated, due to the relative travel between them and their respective segmental racks 80, thereby rotating the drums 76 and winding .the cable 75 thereabout. This is so arranged as to bring the auxiliary rolls 30 and 31 into contact with their respective pressure rolls, and simultaneously place the spring 3541 under suflicient tension to permit the feeding of the garments between the auxiliary rolls 30 and 31, and their respective pressure rolls.

Assuming that the wringer rolls are in the position shown in Fig.6, the operation of the receiving mechanism is as follows: The operator depresses the release lever 70, and causes it to disengage the notch 71 in the drum 63, a tension spring 90, one end of which is secured to a stud 91, carried by the frame drum 60, the other end of which is secured to a stud 92, carried by the frame drum 63, then acts to cause relative rotation between the two drums. The pinions 79 n then travel along the racks 80, causing the cables 75 to be unwound, thereby releasing the tension ,of the spring 35d, and permitting the bearing around their respective drums 76, thereby again drawing the pressure rolls and their respective. supplementary rolls 30 and 31 into contact with each other, and placing sufflcient tension upon the spring members 35a to permit the respective 1 coacting pressure and auxiliary rolls to feed material into the bite of the two pressure rolls.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have provided an eflicient pressure releasemechanism, which is especially adapted 150 for use in connection with a wringer having a pair of pressure rolls and a pair of supplementary rolls coacting with the pressure rolls respectively, which release mechanism will relieve the pressure between the auxiliary rolls and their respective pressure rolls and cause a separation therebetween.

I claim:

1. In a wringer, the combination of a pair of pressure rolls, a pair of auxiliary rolls, resilient means to maintain both auxiliary rolls simultaneously in contact with respective pressure rolls, and manually operable means to cause a separation between the auxiliary rolls and their respective pressure roll.

2. In a wringer, a pair of pressure rolls, resilient means adapted to retain the pressure rolls in contact with each other, a pair of auxiliary rolls arranged to contact with respective pressure. rolls, a second resilient means adapted to normally retain both of said auxiliary rolls simultaneously in contact with their respective pressure rolls, and means to cause a separation between the pressure rolls and their coacting auxiliary rolls, and release the pressure on said last-named resilient means.

3. In a wringer, the combination of a pair of pressure rolls, a pair of auxiliary rolls contacting with the pressure rolls respectively, a pair of rigid bearing members supporting the auxiliary rolls at their ends, resilient means to support said bearing member, and a manually operable means to permit the bearing members to drop and thereby cause a separation between the auxiliary rolls and the pressure rolls.

4. In a wringer, the combination of a pair of pressure rolls, a pair of auxiliary rolls contacting with the pressure rolls respectively, a pair of I rigid bearing members supporting the auxiliary rolls at their ends, resilient meansto support said bearing members, a manually operable means to permit the bearing members to drop in the frame, and wherein said manually operated means is arranged to cause both auxiliary rolls to simultaneously separate from their respective pressure rolls.

5. In a wringer, the combination with a frame, of a pair of pressure rolls mounted in the frame, a pair of auxiliary rolls inserted in the frame and arranged to contact with the pressure rolls respectively, a pair of rigid bearing members supporting the auxiliary rolls at their ends, resilient means secured adjacent the top of the frame and arranged to suspendingly support said bearing members, and a manually operable means operatively connected to said resilient means and the frame to cause the bearing members to drop in the frame and thereby separate the auxiliary rolls from the pressure rolls.

6. In a wringer, the combination with a frame, of a pair of pressure rolls, a pair of auxiliary rolls adapted to coact with respective pressure rolls, wherein the work is first fed between one of said pressure rolls and its respective auxiliary roll and then between the bite of the two pressure rolls, a mounting for said auxiliary rolls, means including a resilient member arranged to support said mounting in the frame and maintain both of said auxiliary rolls simultaneously in contact with their respective pressure rolls,

and a manually operable lever acting on said last-named means to cause said resilient means to become inactive.

'I. In a wringer, the combination with a frame, of a pair ofpressure rolls, an auxiliary roll adapted to coact with one of said pressure rolls, wherein the work is first fed between the pressure roll and the auxiliary roll and then between the bite of the two pressure rolls, a mounting for said auxiliary roll, means including a resilient member arranged to suspend said mounting in the frame, and a manually rockable member arranged to raiseand lower the resilient member at the will of the operator.

8. In a wringer, the combination with a frame, of a pair of pressure rolls, an auxiliary roll adapted to coact with one of said pressure rolls, wherein the work is first fed between the pressure roll and the auxiliary roll and then between the bite of the two pressure rolls, a mounting for said auxiliary roll, a manually rotatable member mounted in said frame, means including a resilient member arranged to support said mounting in the frame, and wherein one end of said auxiliary member is eccentrically secured to said rotatable member and the other end is secured to said mounting, whereby the movement of said rotary member will cause the auxiliary roll to be separated from the pressure roll.

9. In a wringer, a main frame, a supplemental frame moveably mounted in the main frame, a pair of pressure rolls mounted in the supplemental frame, an auxiliary roll mounted in the supplemental frame and adapted to contact with one of the pressure rolls, resilient means to maintain the auxiliary roll'in contact with the pressure roll, and means operative by the relative movement between the 'main frame and the supplemental frame to cause a separation between the auxiliary roll and its respective pressure roll.

10. In a wringer, a main frame, a supplemental frame moveably mounted in the main frame, a pair of pressure rolls mounted in the supplemental frame, an auxiliary roll carried by one of said frames and adapted to contact with one of the pressure rolls, resilient means arranged to suspendingly support the auxiliary roll and maintain it in contact with the pressure roll, and means operative by the relative movement between the main frame and the supplemental frame to cause the auxiliary roll to be raised and lowered as desired.

11. In a wringer, a main frame, a supplemental frame rotatably mounted in the main frame, a pair of pressure rolls carried by the supplemental frame, resilient means adapted to retain the pressure rolls in contact with each other, an auxiliary roll carried by the supplemental frame and arranged to contact with one of themessure rolls, a second resilient means adapted to normally retain said auxiliary roll in contact with one" of the pressure rolls, and means acting consequent upon relative movement between the main frame and the supplemental frame to separate the auxiliary roll from the pressure rolls.

12. In a wringer, a main frame, asupplemental frame rotatably mounted in the main frame, a pair of pressure rolls mounted in one of said frames, a pair of auxiliary rolls mounted in one of said frames and contacting with the pressure rolls respectively, a pair of bearing members supporting the auxiliary rolls at their ends, resilient means to support said bearing members, and means acting consequent upon relative rotation between the main frame and the supplemental frame to cause the bearing members to drop in the frames and cause a separation between the auxiliary rolls and the pressure rolls.

13. In a wringer, the combination with a main frame, of a supplemental frame rotatably mounted in the main frame, of a pair of pressure rolls mounted in one of said frames, an auxiliary roll mounted in one of said frames and adapted to coact with one of said pressure rolls, and means whereby relative movement between the main frame and the supplemental frame will separate the auxiliary roll from the pressure rolls.

14. In awringer, a main frame, a supplemental frame rotatably mounted in the main frame and having its axis of rotation coinciding with the axis of the main frame, a pair of pressure rolls mounted in the supplemental frame, the axis of one of said pressure rolls coinciding with the axis of said frames, an auxiliary roll carried by the supplemental frame, resilient means to maintain the auxiliary roll in contact with the axially mounted pressure roll, and means acting consequent upon relative rotation between the main frame and the supplemental frame to cause a separation between the auxiliary roll and ,the axially mounted pressure roll.

15. In a wringer, the combination with a. main frame of a supplemental frame rotatably mounted in the main frame, of a pair of pressure rolls mounted in one of said frames, an auxiliary roll mounted in one of said frames and adapted to coact with one of said pressure rolls, a segmental rack secured to one of said frames and a pinion secured to the other of said frames, and means whereby relative movement between the main frame and the supplemental frame will separate the auxiliary roll from the pressure rolls.

16. In a wringer, a main frame, a supplemental frame rotatably mounted in the main frame, a pair of pressure rolls in one of said frames, 9. pair of auxiliary rolls mounted in one of said frames and contacting withthepressure rollsrespectively, a pair of bearing members supporting the auxiliary rolls at their ends, resilient means having one end thereof secured to said bearing members, a flexible member secured to the other end of said resilient, member, a drum mounted in one of said frames and to which said flexible member is secured, and means acting consequent-upon relative movement between the main frame and the supplemental framej'to rotate said drum and wind the flexible member thereon.

1'7. In a wringer, the combination of a frame, a pair of pressure rolls, a pair of auxiliary rolls, a pair of end members movably mounted in the frame and arranged to support said auxiliary rolls, and a pair of springs mounted in said frame and arranged to support respective end members between the axes of the auxiliary rolls.

18. In a wringer, the combination of a stationary frame having a pair of upright end mem-,

bers spaced apart, a supplemental frame mounted between the upright member and pivotally carried thereby to turn on an axis connecting such end members, a pressure roll and a pair of auxiliary rolls carried by said last-mentioned frame and adapted to occupy various axial positionswhile preserving their relation one-to the other,

and a second pr. sure roll adapted to coact with,

the first pressure roll.

.19.-In a wringer, the combination .of a stationary frame having a base portion and a pair of upright members spaced apart, a frame mounted between .the upright end members and pivotally carried thereby to turn on an axis connecting said end members, a pressure roll and a pair of auxiliary rolls carried by said last-mentioned frame and adapted to occupy various actual positions while preserving their relations one to the other, a second pressure roll, means forcausing pressure between the second-named pressure roll and the first-named pressure roll, and means for locking the last-mentioned frame in a plurality of positions relative to the first-mentioned frame.

20. In a wringer, a frame, a pair of pressure rolls rotatably mounted in a horizontal plane in the frame and adapted to squeeze the liquid from the work, a pair of auxiliary rolls, rotatably mounted in the frame in alignment with and substantially beneath respective pressure rolls. each of said auxiliary rolls being of substantially the same length as the pressure rolls, yielding means to retain the last-named rolls in contact with the pressure rolls respectively, each auxiliary roll coacting with its respective pressure roll to feed material from the bite of such auxiliary roll and pressure roll into the bite of the two pressure rolls, and wherein the material fed between either pressure roll and its associated auxiliary is gripped and squeezed between two pressure rolls without reversing the direction of rota-' tion of saidpressure rolls.

21. In a wringer, a. frame, a pair of pressure rolls mounted in a substantially horizontal plane to said frame, a pair of auxiliary rolls disposed beneath and normally in contact with respective pressure rolls, the axis of each auxiliary roll being in a substantially vertical plane passing through the axis of the respective pressure roll, said auxiliary rolls adapted to contact with their respective pressure rolls substantially throughout the entire length of the pressure rolls, means to rotate the pressure rolls, and wherein the work passes first between either auxiliary roll and its associated pressure roll and then. between the two pressure rolls and is ejected from substantially the top of. the wringer without'reversing the direction of rotation of any of said rolls.

'22. In a wringer, a frame, a pair of pressure rolls rotatably mounted in a horizontal plane in the frame and adapted to squeeze the liquid from the work, a pair of auxiliary rolls, rotatably mounted in the'frame in alignment with and I substantially beneath respective pressure rolls, each of said auxiliary rolls being of substantially the same length asthe pressure rolls, said auxiliary rolls being substantially the same diameter and length as their respective pressure rolls, yielding means to retain the last-named rolls .125 in contact with the pressure rolls respectively, each auxiliary roll coacting with its respective pressure roll to feed material from the bite of such auxiliary roll and pressure roll into the bite of the two pressure rolls, and wherein the material fed between either pressure roll and its asso-' ciated auxiliary is gripped and squeezed between two pressure rolls without reversing the direction of rotation of said pressure rolls.

23. In a wringer, 'a frame, a pair of pressure rolls rotatably mounted in said frame and having an upwardly extending bite, means to rotate one of said rolls, resilient means urging one of said rolls into contact with the other whereby both of said rolls are. driven, one roll being frictionally driven through the other, a pair. of supplemental rolls-resiliently retained in contact with respec-.

for supporting the bearing blocks, and guides for said bearing blocks whereby the auxiliary rolls may be moved as a unit without disturbing their relationship one to another and whereby one auxiliary roll may be separated from its respective pressure roll without disturbing the contact between the other auxiliary roll and its associated pressure roll and without disturbing the relationship between the two auxiliary rolls.

CHARLES B. WILLIAMS 

